The Tennessee Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards are the most prestigious environmental and conservation awards in the state.

Each year the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation reviews candidates for the Governor's awards.

This year the local Angus-Palm plant was a candidate for The Governor's Award for Hazardous Waste Reduction.

The Governor's award went to the Johns Manville facility in Etowah.

However, a 39 percent reduction in hazardous waste made Angus-Palm a solid contender for the award, resulting in a second place finish, the company has reported.

Angus-Palm employs 400 people locally and more than 1,300 in four facilities in the United States, with corporate headquarters in Watertown, S.D.